Digital Change Process of Gain-for-All: ICT, Development and Volunteerism from a Turkish Perspective

The Arts For Global Development Network (Art4Development.Net) is an online voluntary initiative that aims to help the creative sector and development stakeholders create global partnerships and help find innovative ways to improve communities worldwide. To support that aim, Art4Development.Net carried out the 'How Voluntary is Turkey?' Project from December 2003 to April 2004. Art4Development.Net was the Turkey contact for the United Nation's International Volunteer Day 2003 (IVD); IVD is celebrated each year on December 5.

This 32-page paper is part of the organisation's report on Turkey's IVD Celebrations. Art4Development.Net sees this opportunity as part of knowledge creation and information sharing on Turkey's volunteerism, information and communication technology (ICT), and development issues.

Excerpts from the paper follow:

"The relation between ICT and volunteerism may not be seen and understood plainly at the outset, however myriad number of examples demonstrate that volunteers worldwide have played and continue to play a key role in the development field and the use of ICTs in accessing information, learning, innovation, knowledge creation, and dissemination is helping them to work more effectively and efficiently.

Although volunteerism in Turkey is not a new phenomenon, the comprehension of the term as defined by the modern world has (re)emerged recently as a concept to be employed not only by individuals, but also by the third sector, corporate world, and the academic institutions. Volunteerism programs in tertiary level education, and NGOs that celebrate and promote days like United Nations International Volunteers Day as well as World Youth Volunteers Day and encourage youth, private sector and their employees to engage in community and voluntary activities are few examples of those volunteerism related progress in Turkey.

Turkey has a very young and dynamic population. Hence this reservoir of volunteer skills, energy, and know-how, coupled with ICT can be effective in building organizational and community capacity, facilitate mutual learning, and creating national and international solidarity. There are volunteers who are...willing to be active in social change process, but confront organizational and financial challenges. There are organizations that lack volunteers who fully understand the concept and are keen to provide their time, skills, and know-how for a cause without any personal financial return.

As the Art4Development.Net's online project shows ICT, mainly the Internet, has been valuable in disseminating information, promoting International Volunteer Day, reaching volunteers in remote and diverse areas, and gathering data on volunteers' opinions, the problems they encounter, and potential solutions they suggest for overcoming obstacles to volunteering in Turkey. Again via application of ICT
Art4Development.Net is able to facilitate the flow of information and share the volunteers' stories with the rest of the local as well as global community. ICT has helped this project to be accomplished in a short time and with no budget. Turkey's current and potential interest in volunteerism and ICT has/will continue to generate gain and make a constructive difference for everyone in the future, if key decision makers and stakeholders from the media, private, public institutions and third sector continue to commit, support, and work collaboratively..."